ABU DHABI SUSTAINABILITY WEEK January 16th to 23rd, 2016

After the success of the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) France had the honour to host in Paris at the end of 2015, and the adoption of the Paris Climate Agreement, Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week will bring together, for the first time since December, international high-level actors to discuss solutions to implement the numerous initiatives launched in the framework of the Lima-Paris Action Agenda. Following in the footsteps of the close collaboration built between UAE and France for the success of the climate negotiations of Paris, France is supporting UAE in the launch, during WFES, of a first Global Action Day, as a major annual event in the monitoring and impetus, to preserve and strengthen the momentum created in December.

The presence of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Laurent Fabius, next to the UAE authorities, the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, and the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs from Morocco, who will host the next Conference of the Parties in December 2016, is the expression of an increasingly stronger bilateral cooperation, creating ties to face together major global challenges of our times, and opened to third parties and progress of humanity.

In this framework, and as for the last three years during ADSW, our Embassy is organizing a series of events, with the support of the United Arab Emirates and Masdar in particular. This year, we choose to focus these events on innovative sustainable solutions to tackle climate change issues, deployed in the UAE, France and partner countries by numerous industries and organizations. Thanks to Masdar’s support, some of these events will be part of the Future Cities Forum and the TechTalk programs.

In addition, France will be represented, not only by French Companies who will take part in the different conferences organized during the World Future Energy Summit and the International Water Summit, but also by French cities, such as Lyon and Nantes who will be presenting their policy in sustainable urban development.

I would like to warmly thank the UAE, HE Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and UAE special climate envoy, as well as Dr. Ahmad Belhoul, CEO of Masdar and his team for having made these events possible. I wish that these events will bring up fruitful and inspiring discussions.